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Non Extensive Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics in Earthquake Physics & rock fracture (NEXT EARTH)
Start date: Jul 1, 2009, End date: Jun 30, 2011 PROJECT  FINISHED 

"Understanding of earthquake physics will enhance the quality of life both of European citizens and of vulnerable populations worldwide. In NEXT EARTH proposal will reanalyze and generate unique, well constrained, laboratory data on acoustic emissions (AE) and pressure stimulated currents (PSC) under simulated in-situ conditions (stress-temperature) and will develop new innovative techniques based on modern thermodynamic and non extensive statistical physics [NESP] principles for both the analysis of laboratory and seismicity. The objectives of the proposal are the study of: a) scaling and universality in rock fracture and earthquake physics, b) NESPs’ applicability in fracture (i.e., in AE and PSC) and earthquake physics and c) the universal behaviour of seismicity, AE, and PSC/ SP in natural time domain [NTD}. The objectives will progressed along two parallel and interlinked avenues: Experimental Part. To understand better the mechanisms that produce AE and PSC at in-situ conditions similar with that up to a few kilometres depth within the crust, the state-of-the-art triaxial cell at UCL will be used to impose a deviatoric stress regime upon rock samples, Theoretical Part: from fracture to earthquake physics. To analyse AE and PSCs prior to failure the model of Motion of Charged edge Dislocations will be used. NTD and NESP will applied in AE, PSC and seismicity. NTD enables a universality in dynamical evolution of complex systems and identifies the systems’ enters at critical stage, while NESP offers a consistent theoretical framework to analyze earthquake/fracture systems where fractality, long range interactions, intermittency are important. In NEXT EARTH, for the first time will measure simultaneously AE/PSC under in-situ triaxial conditions as in seismogenic zones and will integrate the interpretation of AE and PSC along with seismicity within a totally new innovative framework of ideas vastly improving the state-of-the-art in rock and earthquake physics."
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